Speith v Rory.

[Tashyboy]

Don't know how many times I have read that Spetith v Rory top two players in the world. Will they be the next Jack v Arnold. When they were paired in the masters the press seemed to go into overdrive and it turned out to be a bit of an anti climax.
Firstly they are not the top two in the world. There are others that can and do beat these two. For the first time in years there are competitions that any one of a dozen players can win.

So why the infatuation with these two. At times it seems a bit disrecptful to me of other players, or is it just lazy journalism.

Thoughts please.

 

[Slab]

Hey Tash

I think the media maybe see the 'battle' as an extension of the Ryder Cup 'across the pond' rivalry and think it'll hep circulation/web-hits etc to blow it up a bit more

Day, Fowler etc get some pressure taken off them so they probably aren't fussed if the press leave them alone a bit

As you say there's plenty who can take the Major wins (as well as guys outside the top 10) so at least for the viewers/fans its looking like a cracking year for us

 

[Berger]

The last few months have been filled with talk of the new 'big three' ie Spieth, McIlroy and Day rather than Spieth vs McIlroy. They were paired at the masters so there was obviously going to be direct comparisons in the last few days.

Is it really surprising that people might be talking about McIlroy who won 4 majors by the age of 25 and Spieth who won 2 majors at just 21? There are some other great contenders but considering their age and what they have already done in the game these two look like they could be the games superstars for the next decade or so.

 

[MendieGK]

The top 3 are far and above the others on average. Yes the quality is better below them but they are still a lot better.

If Rory putted even half decent I genuinely think (as do most golf insiders) that he would win every tournament by roughly 5 shots.

He putted worse than I've ever seen someone challenging putt last week, and he finished 6 shots back!

That's incredible!

 

[SugarPenguin]

The top 3 are far and above the others on average. Yes the quality is better below them but they are still a lot better.

If Rory putted even half decent I genuinely think (as do most golf insiders) that he would win every tournament by roughly 5 shots.

He putted worse than I've ever seen someone challenging putt last week, and he finished 6 shots back!

That's incredible!

This 100%

 

[rksquire]

The top 3 are far and above the others on average. Yes the quality is better below them but they are still a lot better.

If Rory putted even half decent I genuinely think (as do most golf insiders) that he would win every tournament by roughly 5 shots.

He putted worse than I've ever seen someone challenging putt last week, and he finished 6 shots back!

That's incredible!

Seen an article on ESPN (I think?) that had Rorys putting stats for Augusta. He averaged 1.71 putts per hole; apparently if he'd improved this by just 0.05 to 1.64, he'd have tied (or won.... I'll have to look it up again!). Given how badly he played, the margin is tiny.

 

[rksquire]

I see Rory, Day and Spieth as, at their best, above the rest. And at their best, Rory and Day as being slightly better but as this doesn't happen Spieth is more consistent.

Golf wants a Big 2 or 3, however, I've seen the obsession with trying to widen this. Adam Scott was apparently ready to challenge just a few weeks ago. We keep getting told Stenson, or Bubba needs to be part of the conversation. And now Chubby says Willett. I think there's 3, there is limitations on the others although at any given time they can step up and get a win.

Does it mean Willett will contend at the next major? He might, but we need to see how he kicks on. Phil M, Scott & Watson were among the favourites for the Masters, all of them performed dreadfully - are they now out of the contention for all future majors?

We need to be careful - I dislike Spieth but I recognise he's special; I love Rory but recognise he may well be his own worst enemy and not reach his true potential. I like Day, at this moment in time he may be best equipped and is rightly part of the conversation. But we can't keep throwing people into the mix everytime they win a tournament or record back to back wins. On pure talent alone, the 3 at the top are potentially the best - the difficulty is in realising that potential consistently.

 

[super hans]

The top 3 are far and above the others on average. Yes the quality is better below them but they are still a lot better.

If Rory putted even half decent I genuinely think (as do most golf insiders) that he would win every tournament by roughly 5 shots.

He putted worse than I've ever seen someone challenging putt last week, and he finished 6 shots back!

That's incredible!

Jeez - you're a golf insider......tell us some secrets then....

 

[Tongo]

I see Rory, Day and Spieth as, at their best, above the rest. And at their best, Rory and Day as being slightly better but as this doesn't happen Spieth is more consistent.

Golf wants a Big 2 or 3, however, I've seen the obsession with trying to widen this. Adam Scott was apparently ready to challenge just a few weeks ago. We keep getting told Stenson, or Bubba needs to be part of the conversation. And now Chubby says Willett. I think there's 3, there is limitations on the others although at any given time they can step up and get a win.

Does it mean Willett will contend at the next major? He might, but we need to see how he kicks on. Phil M, Scott & Watson were among the favourites for the Masters, all of them performed dreadfully - are they now out of the contention for all future majors?

We need to be careful - I dislike Spieth but I recognise he's special; I love Rory but recognise he may well be his own worst enemy and not reach his true potential. I like Day, at this moment in time he may be best equipped and is rightly part of the conversation. But we can't keep throwing people into the mix everytime they win a tournament or record back to back wins. On pure talent alone, the 3 at the top are potentially the best - the difficulty is in realising that potential consistently.

Stenson never gives me the impression of being able to maintain a challenge in a major. At the USPGA in 2014 it was him rather than Rory, Phil or Rickie who tailed away on the back 9. Bubba is basically restricted to 2 majors as his record at the two Opens is woeful. (Although his best performance in a US Open was at Oakmont!) Phil's a bit too old really. Scott could join the big 3 but certainly isn't on their level yet.

 

[Deleted member 1418]

From everything I've read or heard from fellow Pros and those involved closely in the game the general consensus is that if Rory turns up with his A game then he's pretty much out on his own, with Spieth and Day currently after him. Below these three anyone in the top 40 in the world is in with a shout. I personally think it's great that no one player is dominating at the moment - can only be good for the game.

 

[UlyssesSky]

Is it really surprising that people might be talking about McIlroy who won 4 majors by the age of 25 and Spieth who won 2 majors at just 21?

If you look at the last majors (2014/2015) before this years Masters, they won 50% of the 8 majors in that period between them, with no other player winning more than one major in that period of time.

Seen an article on ESPN (I think?) that had Rorys putting stats for Augusta. He averaged 1.71 putts per hole; apparently if he'd improved this by just 0.05 to 1.64, he'd have tied (or won.... I'll have to look it up again!). Given how badly he played, the margin is tiny.

His 1.71 average is somwhere in the same ballpark as the field at 1.69. If you look at the top of that statistic, however, you find Anirban Lahiri with 1.53 putts per hole at the top, with Speith just behind at 1.56 putts per hole..

That's a differen between Rory and Speith of 0.15 putts per hole....


So Rory's Putting isn't really that bad, but you just don't win majors when you're putting is just average.

 

[MendieGK]

Jeez - you're a golf insider......tell us some secrets then....

You've read that wrong. I'm not saying I am, I'm saying most experts agree with the statements I've made

 

[Hobbit]

As the absolute top players pretty much all play the same events, the world rankings are a decent indicator!!

 

[Tashyboy]

Gents thanks for some good thoughtful responses.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Think it's a new triumvirate like the days of Nicklaus, Palmer and Player which is something golf, in the media at least has been crying out for. The top three (Day, Spieth and McIlroy) are ahead of the rest but the likes of Willett, Fowler and many other of the younger players won't let them have it all their own way

 

[351DRIVER]

There is a constant need by the press to announce rivalries, the big 3, the next Tiger

True rivalries, true scenarios with a big 3 take place over a decade of success and the golfers are head and shoulders above the rest

The next Tiger?

That is a phrase that should not be used until we find someone who is already the next Mickelson *50 wins and 5 majors

As it stands the young guns have a tonne of work to achieve any of the above.

You can look at the world rankings year on year and see how many burned very brightly for a season or two simply to fade away, we always think, THIS GUY IS AMAZING. Have a scroll back through the names and see how many were touted for HUGE success and peaked.

It is pretty much impossible to sustain the world number 1 spot for any period, Tiger Woods and Greg Norman were out on their own, no one else has shown to me anyway they will challenge, not yet anyhow. Tiger and Greg combined to be world number 1 for just over 1000 weeks!

Little copy and paste job here

[TABLE="width: 514"]
[TR]
[TH]Bernhard Langer[/TH]
[TH]3 weeks[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Rory McIlroy[/TD]
[TD]95 weeks[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Adam Scott[/TD]
[TD]11 weeks[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Jordan Spieth[/TD]
[TD]26 weeks[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Jason Day[/TD]
[TD]7 weeks[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


A good round, tournament or even season followed by this is the next Tiger, we have a big 3, underestimates by a long way how dominant the best players in history have been and diminishes their successes.

Jack, Arnie, Player, BIG 3

Spieth, Rory, Day, young golfers with potential